Mathematics is one of the three BBE entrance exam sections. Here is what WU tests, why the section tends to run long, and how to work through the syllabus topic by topic.
Mathematics is one of the three sections of the BBE entrance exam. The syllabus spans algebra and equations through functions, differentiation, probability, binomial distribution, and financial mathematics.
The section is not necessarily hard because the concepts are unusually advanced. More often, the challenge is the amount of work each question demands and the time you have to do it.
Math questions
13
Approx. weighting
40%
Exam length
2 hours
Formula sheet
Provided
Many BBE mathematics questions present several statements that have to be evaluated individually. Instead of finding one answer and moving on, you may need to solve or verify multiple statements within the same question.
For example, a five-option question may require five separate calculations or pieces of reasoning.
This means that even when you know the mathematics, you can lose a significant amount of time if you:
For BBE Mathematics, preparation therefore needs to train both accuracy and speed.
Learn how BBE partial-credit scoring works →The mathematics syllabus begins with the fundamentals:
These skills are also used throughout other parts of the mathematics section, so weaknesses in algebra can affect your performance on otherwise unrelated topics.
Practice Algebra & Equations →Inequalities are an important part of the BBE mathematics preparation.
You should be comfortable solving inequalities and interpreting their solution sets, including questions involving different algebraic forms and boundary conditions.
Because several answer statements may need to be checked separately, being able to solve inequalities quickly and reliably is particularly useful in the exam.
Practice BBE Inequalities →The syllabus includes:
Preparation should cover both the algebraic side of functions and their interpretation, including properties and graphs.
Practice BBE Functions →The syllabus includes:
These topics can require several steps in one problem: understanding the function, differentiating it, finding relevant points and interpreting the result.
Practice Differentiation & Optimization →Probability deserves particular attention because it contains several distinct types of problems.
The core areas to prepare are:
You should understand the basic rules and relationships used to calculate probabilities and combine events.
Conditional probability is one of the key probability topics to focus on. Questions can require you to determine how the probability of an event changes when additional information is given.
Bayes' theorem is another particularly important area for preparation. You should be comfortable identifying when a problem requires you to reverse conditional probabilities and working through the relevant probabilities carefully.
You should also understand the difference between dependent and independent events and how independence affects probability calculations.
Binomial distribution is explicitly included in the BBE mathematics syllabus and should be prepared alongside the broader probability topics.
You should be comfortable identifying when a binomial model applies and calculating the relevant probabilities.
Practice BBE Probability →Financial mathematics is another area where the BBE School preparation goes beyond simply learning one formula.
The preparation material is divided into several important subtopics:
Understand how interest rates relate to different compounding periods and how to work with effective rates.
Be comfortable with continuous interest growth and the calculations associated with it.
Geometric series provide the mathematical foundation for several financial calculations, so you should be able to recognize and work with them.
You should understand the differences between:
and know how the timing of payments affects the calculation.
This includes calculations involving loan repayment schedules and regular mortgage payments.
You should understand the concept of the internal rate of return and how it is used to evaluate financial investments.
Practice BBE Financial Mathematics →You need to move between very different areas of mathematics: algebra, functions, calculus, probability and finance.
A question can require you to evaluate several statements individually. This means that the number of calculations you actually perform can be considerably greater than the number of questions suggests.
Being able to solve a problem eventually is different from being able to solve it quickly enough during the entrance exam.
The formula sheet provided during the exam means that preparation should not focus only on memorizing formulas. You need to recognize which mathematical concept applies and how to use it correctly.
A good preparation sequence is:
Build the fundamentals
Make sure algebra, equations and functions are solid.
Study each topic separately
Work through inequalities, functions, differentiation, probability, binomial distribution and financial mathematics individually.
Pay particular attention to probability
Make sure you can distinguish between elementary probability, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem, independence and binomial distribution.
Practice financial mathematics by subtopic
Don’t treat financial mathematics as one chapter. Practice effective rates, continuous compounding, geometric series, annuities, mortgage repayments and internal rate of return separately.
Learn the BBE question format
Practice questions where several statements need to be checked individually.
Combine topics
Once you are comfortable with individual topics, solve mixed sets without knowing in advance which method you will need.
Train for speed
Finally, introduce time limits and practice deciding when to continue working on a question and when to move on.